Shelving.



B. L. WATERS.

SHELVING. Y

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 4, 1908.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

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'13. L. WATERS.

SHELVING. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 4, 190s.

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BEVERLY L. WATERS, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

SHELVIN G.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented MarchY V9, Y'19159.

Application filed August 4, 1908. -Serial-No. 447,002.

To all whom it may 'coa/cern:

Be it known that I, BEVERLY L. WATERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of lllinois, have inventeda certain new and useful improvement in Shelving, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shelving, .more particularly lthat used in stores, warehouses and similar places where a simple, strong shelving is required which may be constructed and erected at a comparatively low cost, but

which must withstand great weight and hard usage. Shelving of this class is sometimes called upon to support boxes, cases, cans, or. lother packages, which will hold themselves in position upon the shelves, but this class of shelving is at other times called upon to support goods in bulk. For example, in a hardwarestore or warehouse it maybe desired to store loose bolts, nuts, nails, or other objects which are heavy and yet require special retaining means to .keep them properly upon the shelf. When a shelf is Vthus provided with special retaining means, it acquires the nature of a bin and the retaining means may be referred to as a bin shelf attachment.

The object of my invention is to provide a bin shelf attachment which may be readily attached and detached and which when attached will be secured not only at the ends but continuously throughout its entire length.

Another object, subsidiary to the first, is to provide a corner piece adjustable in such manner that it will always make a tight connection between the end of the attachment and the upright partitions at the ends of the shelves. The purpose of this is to make a tight connection so that in case the attachments come somewhat short of the requisite length (which may sometimes happen by reason of variation in the length of the attachment or in the length of the shelves) there can be no leakage even when material such as bran, seeds, etc. are stored in the shelving.

I` accomplish my objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of shelvingembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken from front to rear of the shelving through the corner piece and bin shelf attachment. The full lines in this figure show the attachment in place,

while :the Vdotted lines Hshow :the 'sa-me during the act of attachment. Fig 3 is la plan'sectional view taken-on the line V3--3 'of Fig. :2. Fig. 4 is fragment ary perspective lshowing a portion of the shelf at the partition, the bin attachment being absent. Figs. 5 and 6 are erspective views showing the back of lthe bin attachment and the inside 'of the lcorner pieces. Fig. 5 shows the corner piece 'retracted ready for attachment, and Fig. 6 shows it in attached position. Fig. 7 is ya vertical sectional detail, showing a modification of the form of flange on the shelf and bin attachment.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The shelving in general consists of upright partitions 10 spaced apart and consisting preferably of sheet metal. In the preferred design these partitions are finished and reinforced at their front and 'rear edges `by means of stiifening strips 11 which as clearly shown in Figs. 3 to 6 are provided with parallel iianges 1 1 a, 1 l a, integral with a tubelike portion 11b which is greater in diameter than the extreme thickness of the strip at said flanges. Extending between the partitions are the shelves 12 supported by means of rods 13 or in 'any other suitable marmer. rlhe shelves are of special design at the edge where there are stiifening flanges consisting in this particular design of the downwardly extending part 12, the inwardly extending part 1 2b, and the upwardly extending part 1 2 C. The particular configuration of the stiffening flange of the shelf however is not essential, the point being that they extend along the edge of the shelf practically from one end to the other thereof.

The bin attachment 14 consists `of a metallic strip of any desired height in the best form being provided at its upper edge with a stiffening beading 14s. The principal characteristic of this bin attachment so far as the invention is concerned lies in the fact that it has means for engaging the stiffening flange on the shelf so that when the'bin attachment is subjected to pressure from the inside it will bear against the flange on the shelf and take advantage of the latter to resist said pressure. The preferred form of bin attachment flange, whereby this result is obtained, is clearly illustrated in the drawings where it will be seen that the bin attachment has at its lower edge a depending portion 14a, the inwardly extending portion 14h and an upwardly extending portion 14C. A horizontal bend 14d is formed at the foot of the main body of the bin attachment and permitsthe attachment to bear upon the shelf. The portion 14.-EL of the bin attachment is of approximately the same depth as the shelf portion 12a so as to fit over the same and, Where the rectangular design is employed as illustrated, the horizontal portion 14b is slightly wider than the horizontal portion 12b to avoid binding of the parts when the attachment is being put in place as shown in dotted lines Fig. 2. This characteristic however, is not essential and the parts might be constructed as shown in Fig. 7, in which the horizontal portions 12b and 14D are omitted and replaced by flanges 12 and 14X extending obliquely upward and inward. In either of these constructions if a strong pressure be exerted against the inner surface of the bin attachment the flanges 14C or 14X will bear against the flanges 12C or 12 and thus be relieved of a portion of the strain. Moreover, since the bin attachment engages both the upper and lower edges of the shelf the shelf itself will be stiffened. ln other Words, as a result of the interengagement of the shelf and bin attachment, there will be a mutual bracing and stiffening so that the shelf is stiffened against vertical strains` and the bin attachment is stiffened against lateral pressure both from the inside and from -the outside.

l will now describe the particular means which l prefer to employ to secure the ends of the bin attachments to the upright partitions or marginal stiffening strips thereof.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6 the fastening means consists of a corner piece the upright stiffening strip 11.

or plate having two flanges 15 and 16, the flange 15 being adapted to contact the inside of the bin attachment 14, and the flange 16 being adapted to contact the adjacent side of Flange 15 has horizontal slots 15a for receiving bolts 17 which pass through apertures in the bin attachment for the purpose of adjustably holding the parts together. The corner piece is secured to the strip 11 by means of bolts 18 or similar fastening means. The purpose in thus providing horizontal adjustment of the corner piece with reference to the bin attachment 141 is to permit the flange Y 16 of the corner piece to always make close supplement the holding action of the bolt This feature is clearly apparent by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In operation if it is desired to attach a bin attachment, the bolts 17 are loosened to permit free horizontal movement of the corner pieces with reference to the attachment 1&1. The attachment is then applied by hooking the lowest flanges under the flanged edge of the shelf in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, after Which the attachment is swung to vertical position as shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 5. The corner pieces 15, 16, at each end of the attachment are slipped outward as far as they will go toward the upright partition 10 after which the bolts 17 and 18 are tightened. The structure then becomes rigid to stand various stresses and strains as already pointed out in this specification. lt will be seen that as a result of the construction of the cooperating flanges on the shell' and shelf attachment interbracing action is obtained without the necessity of puncturing or otherwise cutting away any of the material either on the shelf' or bin attachnient. The mutual stiffening is therefore obtained without any countervailing weakening by reason of the removal of metal.

Having thus described my invention, l claim:

1. In shelving, the combination of upright partitions, a shelf extending from one to the other and a bin shelf' attachment, said shelf and attachment having interfitting flanges for resisting outward bulging of the attachment.

2. ln shelving, the combination of upright partitions, a shelf extending from one to the other, a depending flange on the edge of said shelf, a bin shelf attachment consisting of' a strip adapted to stand substantially upright along the edge of the shelf and a flange on said attachment adapted to engage both the inner and outer sides of the flange on said shelf to thereby prevent horizontal Inovement of the attachment in either' direction transversely to the shelf.

3. In shelving, the combination of upright partitions, a shelf extending from one to the other, a flange along the edge of the shelf, a bin attachment consisting of a strip adapted to stand vertically and extend practically from one partition to the other and a flange on said attachment having a horizontal foot or bend adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the shelf at the edge thereof, a depending portion adapted to engage the outside of the flange on said shelf and a bend connected to and integral with the depending portion of said strip for engaging the inside of the flange of the shelf for the purpose described.

4. In shelving, the combination of upright partitions, a shelf, a flange on said shelf, a bin attachment consisting of a strip having a flange adapted to engage the lange on the sheli| whereby said strip is detachably attachable to the shelf, and means located at the end of the strip and adjustable lengthwise thereof for attaching the ends of the strip to the partitions, corner plates at the ends of the strip adjustable lengthwise thereof and each having a flange adapted to be attached to the partition and bear against the saine for stiiiening the structure and prey venting leakage at the end of said strip.

5. ln shelving, the combination ol' upright partitions, having marginal stitliening strips at their vertical edges, said stifening strips having parallel flanges for engaging the Inaln body oi the partition, said flanges being connected by a bulging tube like portion, a shelf, a bin attachment adapted to stand approximately upright near one edge ol the shell and a corner piece for holding the bin attachment in position, said corner piece being adjustable lengthwise of said attachment and havin(r a bend therein adapted to it behind the bu ge in said stiilening strip for the purpose described.

n witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed niy naine in the presence of two witnesses.

BEVERLY L. WATERS. vWitnesses HOWARD M. COX, C. J. CHRISTOFFEL. 

